The meaning of the lyrics of the song "The Widow and the Hunchback" (Vdova i Gorbun) the performer of the song "The King and the Jester"

In a village there lived

An unfortunate widow,

Since her husband died,

She'd been all alone.

From dawn till dark

She'd save herself as she could

From her neighbor, Johann the Hunchback.

Hunchbacked Johann

Was hideous to look at,

And in his treatment of women

He was simply a hooligan.

He'd butt like a ram

And grunt like a boar,

Someone like him - in a cage

And into a freak show.

Chorus:

Damned Hunchback, what do you want?

I don't even want to stand next to you!

Leave me alone, you wretch,

And stop following me everywhere!

It was a winter evening.

The Hunchback was chilled to the bone,

Until he finally caught the widow

In the barn.

He knocked his neighbor off her feet,

Dragged her onto the hay,

With a cunning laugh

Into the darkest corner.

And the widow could do nothing,

She whispered to Johann,

That she would undress herself.

Yours to take, Hunchback!

She lied to him,

Her hand finding in the hay

The handle of an axe.

In hysterics, the Hunchback

Roared like a gramophone,

Spun like a top,

Bounced like a ball.

He smashed the door open

With his mighty forehead,

Ran away from the house

With his hump chopped off.

В одном селе жила

несчастная вдова,

С тех пор, как помер муж,

Все одинешенька была.

C рассвета до темна

Спасалась, как могла

От соседа Иоганна-горбуна.

Горбатый Иоганн

На внешность был поган,

И в обращеньи с женщиной

Был просто хулиган.

Бодался как баран

И хрюкал как кабан,

Его б, такого, - в клетку

И на балаган.

Припев:

Проклятый Горбун, чего тебе надо?

С тобой не хочу я стоять даже рядом!

Оставь ты меня, горемыку, в покое

И хватит следить отовсюду за мною!

Был зимний вечерок.

Горбатый весь продрог,

Пока вдову в сарае,

Наконец, не подстерег.

Он сбил соседку с ног,

На сено поволок,

С коварным смехом

В самый темный уголок.

И ничего вдова

Поделать не могла,

Шепнула Иоганну,

Что разденется сама.

Твоя, Горбун, взяла!

Слукавила она,

Рукой нащупав в сене

Ручку топора.

В истерике Горбун

Ревел, как граммофон,

Вертелся как волчок,

Как мячик прыгал он.

С разгону вышиб дверь

Своим могучим лбом,

Бежал из дома прочь

С отрубленным горбом.

This song by the band "Korol i Shut" (King and Jester) tells the story of a confrontation between a poor widow and her persistent, hunchbacked neighbour, Johann. The lyrics are filled with black humour and grotesqueness, characteristic of the band's work.

Characters:

The Widow: embodies vulnerability and loneliness. She is forced to fight off Johann's advances, using cunning and desperation.

Johann the Hunchback: is presented as a repulsive and aggressive character. His hump is not just a physical flaw but a symbol of depravity and malice. He is lonely, like the widow, but his desires are selfish and destructive.

Plot:

The song mocks stereotypes about beauty and ugliness. Johann, confident in his strength, becomes a victim of his own lust and naivety. The widow, despite her apparent weakness, shows resourcefulness and determination to protect herself. The ending of the story is tragicomic: Johann is punished for his lust, but the widow is unlikely to emerge victorious, for violence only breeds pain and suffering.

Meaning:

"The Widow and the Hunchback" is a grotesque parable about the vices of society, loneliness, and the price of freedom. It makes you think about the importance of resisting evil, even if you have to resort to less than noble methods.